The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-27
WASHINGTON.
Emancipation Day i'm the District-A Real
Estate Boom.


Estate Boom
Correspondence Of the PdIdtkd Nelrs.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., April %.
The anniversary of the day upon
which the slaves in the District of Col
colored people, and the most elaborate
prepar ATTIC n had been made for celebrate
ing the twenty-fifth anniversary on Mon
day last, and had it not been for the in
clemency of the weather, there is no
doubt but that the parade would have
been the most gorgeous affair ever given
by the colored people of the District
The original plan contemplated review
by the President at the White House at
twelve O'Clock, but it was late in the af-
ternOOn before the procession was formed
and during the entire march the rain fell
in torrents 1t can readily be imagined
that by the time the White House
grounds Were reached, the procession
presented a sorry appearance. The rain
had completely wilted the bright colored
banners, uniforms and sashes, and the
Queen of Love and Beauty" who was
to have ridden among her maids of honor
upon a gaily decked wagon, was con-
signed to huge covered omnibus.
Among the features of the parade were
| colored military organizations of Wash
| ington, which We're out in full force des-
pite the rain, and they presented a very
| creditable appearance. The President
reviewed the parade from the portico,
4
removing his hat. The exercises of the
day were brought to close by an even
ing meeting held in Lincoln Memorial
Church. An admission fee of fifteen
| cents had been charged to the evening
| meeting, but when Col. Williams, the or
| ator of the evening, learned of the fact, he
| declared that he would leave the hall if
| the money was not returned, and the adj
mission fee was given back to each per
| son in attendance before the exercises of
the evening We're commenced. The
meeting was well attended and the pro-
ceedings We're interesting.
At no time during the history of Wash
ington has there existed such a spirit of
| activity in real estate interests,
as at the present time. All of the
| available land in the immediate vicinity
of the city has been divided into building
lots, new streets are being laid out and
city streets extended and improved.
Values have advanced SO rapidly that
real estate agents have been kept busy in
making up prices and the working
force in the offices of theRecorderof Deeds
has been compelled to work extra hours
in order to keep up with the current
work. That this boom is not entirely in
| the interests of spectators, is evinced by
the fact that many of the purchasers
| have commenced the erection of houses
Buildings are springing up like magic i'll
all sections of the city, and very many
of them are costly edifices which are to
furnish homes for wealthy people from
all sections of the country. Nor is the
spirit of activity confined to private par
ties alone. The hberality of Congress in
pro 'iding appropriations for the erection
of Government buildings, and the i'm
provements of parks and public grounds
has rendered it possible to carry into eff
| feet many improvements long since con-
templated. but which have not until now
been carried out ON account of lack OF
available funds. The work of clearing
the site for the new Congressional Ii
brary building is nearly, complete and
work upon the excavation for the foun-
| dation viii be commenced at once The
marble terrace about the Capitol building
will soon be finished, and force of la.
bOrers have been set at work upon the
foundation of the grand staircase which
is to be built at the west front of the
building. The new fire-prOof building
which is being built for the Army Med
| ical NJ useum, and Medical Library of the
Surgeon Generals office will soon be
completed.
The bronze statue of Ex-President
Jas. A. Garfield which is to be unveiled
on the 12th of May. has been placed upon
| its pedestal at the Maryland Avenue EN-
trance to the Capital grounds, and is con-
sidered to be one of the finest of the nu-
merous pieces of statuary in the National
Capital. III.